Program Affiliations

Sociology

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Biography

Dr. Murray was born and raised in Maud, Texas. She is an Associate Professor of Sociology, program coordinator for the sociology program, the sociology student club faculty advisor, and advisor for TAMUT's chapter for Alpha Kappa Delta - International Honor Society of Sociology.

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Professional Experience

Dr. Murray has previously served on the editorial board of the scholarly journal, Sociological Spectrum. She is currently co-directing the newly formed Office for Teaching and Faculty Advancement (OTAFA) at TAMUT, which hosts New Faculty Orientation and offers professional development and advancement opportunities for faculty members. 

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Education

Dr. Murray completed undergraduate (2009) and master's (2011) degrees in sociology from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. (2015) in sociology from the University of Oklahoma. She became an Assistant Professor of Sociology at TAMUT in 2015 and was tenured and promoted in 2021. 

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Teaching

Dr. Murray teaches a variety of courses, including Introduction to Sociology, Medical Sociology, Media & Society, and more. She also offers the sociology internship course, which gives students the opportunity to develop collaborations and gain valuable experiences with community partners. Outside of sociology, she teaches IS-1100 as part of the First Year Experience program. 

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Scholarship & Creative Activity

Her research interests began with military and terrorism studies but have broadened to include the examination of sociological variables, such gender, within social institutions. Recent scholarship: 

• Strunc, Abbie, Kimberly Murray, and Amber Godwin. 2022. “Closing the Gap or Accelerating the Problems: A Discourse Analysis of H.B. 4545.”  Journal of Universality of Global Education Issues (9)2.
• Welch, Leslie and Kimberly Murray. 2020. “Pregnancy and Paths to Financial Freedom: A Tale of Two Gallagher Sisters” in Shameless Sociology: Critical Perspectives on a Popular Television Series, an edited text by Jennifer Beggs Weber and Pamela M. Hunt, University of West Georgia. Cambridge Publisher.
• Strunc, Abbie, and Kimberly Murray. 2019. “Understanding the Relationship between Gender and Self-Efficacy in Northeast Texas Public Schools.” Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice 3(2).

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Grants and Awards

Dr. Murray received the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by a Tenured or Tenure-track Professor, sponsored by the University Academic Honors Program at Texas A&M University-Texarkana in 2019. She also became a member of the Experiential Education Academy for the National Society for Experiential Education in 2020.